1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a weeder which a user can handle in a standing posture when the user is to pick up a weed or weeds (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cweedsxe2x80x9d) in the ground by using the weeder.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,541, Kinjiro Ota, issued Apr. 1, 1997 and assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses a weeder which a user can operate in a standing posture when the user is to pick up weeds in the ground by using the weeder. The conventional weeder includes an elongated operating shaft, chuck means arranged at a lower end portion of the shaft for pulling out weeds by the roots, the chuck means including first and second chuck pawls for pinching the roots of the weeds, linkage means provided between the shaft and the chuck means, the linkage means including a pair of linkage members, grounding means for facilitating standing of the chuck means over the ground, spring means for urging the linkage means in such a direction as to cause the linkage means to be stretched, and locking means for releasably locking the linkage means and maintaining the chuck pawls of the chuck means in a closed state.
When a user is to pick up weeds in the ground by using the conventional weeder, the user grasps the operating shaft in a standing posture and places the grounding means on an area of the ground in which the weeds grow. In this condition, when the user pushes the shaft down against the ground, the first chuck pawl is stuck into the ground. When the user further pushes the shaft down against the ground, the linkage means is bent against an action of the spring means and the second chuck pawl is closed toward the first chuck pawl, whereby the weeds are pinched between the first chuck pawl and the second chuck pawl. Simultaneously, the first and second chuck pawls are maintained in the closed condition against the action of the spring means by means of the locking means.
In the conventional weeder, the pinching operation of the weeds between the chuck pawls is carried out with resort to the bending of the linkage means against the action of the spring means. Therefore, when the linkage means has play in it, there is a possibility that the chuck pawls will be unable to pinch the weeds therebetween, and even if the chuck pawls can pinch the weeds, there is a possibility that the chuck pawls will be unable to pull out the weeds by the roots when the weeds take strong roots.
The present invention has been made with a view to overcoming the foregoing problems of the prior art weeder.
It is an object of this invention to provide a weeder which can securely pull out weeds by the roots even if the weeds take strong roots.
It is another object of this invention to provide a weeder which a user can stably operate by hand.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder having chuck means which is simple in construction and can securely pinch weeds.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a weeder having operating lever means which is simple in construction and can stably actuate chuck means for pinching weeds.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a weeder which can positively remove weeds and/or mud from the weeder, even if the weeds and/or mud remain adhering to the weeder.